Christmas Wishes
by BuzzCat
Summary: Rumpelstiltsin looks out over the land and for the first time in his life, makes a Christmas Wish. Very out of season, but when it's 100 degrees, one can't help but dream of winter. 100% Rumbelle, pretty angsty in the first chapter but fluff afterwards. EDIT- This story is done! Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Rumpelstiltskin looked out onto the starry night. He stood on the balcony of his highest tower, surveying the land in lost hope. She was dead. Belle was dead and nothing would change that. But oh how he wished he could change it. To hold her in his arms and whisper reassurances in her ear, to take back all the harsh words that had ever crossed his lips and replace them with soft pleas that she never leave him. But the past was the past and she had left him.

Rumpelstiltskin looked into the night and sighed. This would have been their second Christmas together. He had even made her a present: A red glass rose with a golden stem. He clutched it now in his hands. Every protective spell he knew had been carefully weaved into its crafting, spells to protect the owner from everything from the common cold to the plague. Gods knew his clumsy Belle would need protection from everything. He smiled at the memory of her falling into his arms, the way she'd sparkled in the newfound light.

Rumpelstiltskin stared at the sky, watching the full moon traverse her domain. As he stared, he felt a soft whisper slip through his body. Before he knew it, Rumpelstiltskin was softly saying,

"In this year on this Christmas Eve night, I make my first and only Christmas wish: I wish for Belle's life. Whether it be with me or another I care not. I wish for her to be alive: happy, healthy, and above all…loved." The last word was barely a whisper, a coincidental formation of his lips. But in that second, he knew it to be true. No matter by whom, Belle needed to be loved. It was too much to dream he'd be permitted the honor. After all, she was dead. Rumpelstiltskin turned and walked back to his room, collapsing on the bed and falling into a fitful sleep.

Artemis, goddess of the hunt and moon, heard his wish. She'd existed long enough to see Dark Ones come and go like the ebb of the tide. But this one, this tragic Rumpelstiltskin, broke her ancient heart. He had lived a life surrounded by pain and suffering. Even deal-making failed to life his spirits. Artemis had grown attached to this…creature, and refused to prolong his suffering. With her moonbeam hands, she reached into the Evil Queen's dungeons and plucked out the sleeping Belle. Artemis safely deposited the girl alongside Rumpelstiltskin, both now sound asleep. Belle instinctively curled into him and his arms wrapped around her. Artemis stepped back and smiled. It was not often she intervened in the affairs of mortals, but tonight was a night tailor-made for wishes. As it had always been and will always be, Christmas Eve is the night of magic when anything is possible, even True Love.

**A/N: Yeah, I know I just put a Greek goddess in with Christmas and that if this was reality the two would never coincide, but I like it this way. Also, I do understand that Artemis is also the protector of virgins, but I think that she would have seen how in love Belle and Rumpel are and taken pity on them. Anyway, this is a one-shot, but if I ever get really ambitious, I might continue it. Waking up in the morning, and possibly a wedding where Artemis again makes an appearance. What say you, o Fandom dwellers?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Oh my gosh! Wow! You guys are so nice! I published two (ONLY TWO!) stories, left to watch a movie, came back and found I had NINE new reviews! Nine reviews! In two hours! I didn't know miracles still happened! Thank you all so much! This update is for all my wonderful reviewers! Thank you so much for absolutely making my night! Oh, and I just wanted to give a HUGE thank-you to all my readers. Thanks to everyone, last month I had exactly 9,988 hits on my stories. That's 12 short of TEN-THOUSAND! I don't know about you all, but to me that sounds like a lot of views. So another huge thanks to you all! And now, after this rather extended Author's Note, I give you Christmas Wishes: Chapter Two!**

Rumpelstiltskin slowly stretched. His whole body ached and the previous night came rushing back. It was Christmas morning and Rumpelstiltskin was alone, though that really wasn't a change. But as his arms shifted, his senses begged to differ. He held a warm body. A soft body that was beginning to stir as well. His eyes shot open. Gold met bright blue and he heard a soft gasp. He stared in shock at the chestnut curls that sprawled around the flushed face that faced him.

"Belle?" he whispered. He hesitantly raised a hand and placed it on her cheek. She mirrored his movements, delicate fingers meeting scaly skin. They lay like that for minutes, hours, time indeterminate. Soft hands ghosted over each other, learning every crinkle and curve. The touches were completely innocent, less a show of lust than a simple reassurance that the other was real. At last, Rumpelstiltskin swallowed to wet his throat and whispered,

"How? I thought…"

"You thought I was dead?" she whispered and he could only nod. Belle smiled and Rumpelstiltskin felt it warm him from head to toe. She pressed a kiss to his forehead,

"Silly man. If I was dead, exactly how would I get back here to kiss you senseless?" She kissed his nose, his cheeks, his closed eyes. Every inch of his face received a soft press of her lips. Every inch but his lips. When at last Belle came to them, she pulled back and sighed with a smile on her face. Rumpelstiltskin's brow furrowed in confusion,

"I do believe the whole point of kissing me senseless is to eventually reach my lips, dearie." He was so grateful she didn't hate him he wasn't sure whether he was more annoyed or unsurprised at her avoidance of his lips. Belle shrugged a bit,

"I thought lips wouldn't be a good idea. Last time I kissed your lips…" she trailed off and Rumpelstiltskin blushed at how he had reacted the last time they'd kissed. It was shameful, he knew, to take for granted what he had been gifted when he didn't deserve a second thought from the lady before him.

"I'm… I'm sorry." He said, not able to meet her gaze. Belle grinned and began softly petting his tangled mass of hair.

"I know. I've always known, I think. True Love doesn't mean not saying you're sorry. True Love means I already know it." she whispered, and in that moment, Rumpelstiltskin knew he could never love her more. Never, not if his centuries lived doubled.

He wrapped his arms around Belle and crushed her to his chest. He realized with a start her hair was wet and only then did he realize he was crying. Belle was sobbing into his vest, clutching at him like she'd never let go. He held her twice as hard. When she looked up at him with watery eyes full of happiness and hope, he knew he was lost forever.

He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her petal lips. She kissed him back and the taste of his glorious Belle filled him. She tasted like…dawn. Dawn on a summer morning after the rain has passed. It was a taste he'd never get enough of. This time he felt the humanity spreading through him, felt his scales retract to reveal tan, scarred skin. The pain in his leg came back with a vengeance, but he hardly cared. He held Belle in his arms and he wanted her nowhere else. And with the way she held tight to him and the look he found in her eyes, he knew _she_ wanted to be nowhere else. He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear,

"I wished for you, last night. You were my Christmas wish." He said gently, barely able to understand someone would ever grant a wish to creature like him. Belle snuggled into his chest and whispered,

"I wished for you too." Rumpelstiltskin's face split into the widest, happiest grin anyone could have ever conjured. He wished for her and she wished for him. Everything was right.

**A/N: Well? Was it up to the standard of the first chapter? I'm already working on the next chapter, but it's getting a little rough. I'm not really sure how I want it to go. Anyway, that should be up later this week, so keep an eye for that!**


	3. Chapter 3

Rumpelstiltskin was fidgety, though he tried not to show it. His fingers itched to cast magic, to spin at the wheel, to do _something_. Anything was better than waiting. He stood at the altar in the garden, dressed like a prince in a deep blue shirt and black breeches. His hair was pulled back in a short ponytail and he leaned on his black cane. A priest stood beside him on the lawn of the Dark Castle, summer sunshine beating down on them. He had proposed to Belle three weeks ago and when she said yes, he was determined to have her contractually his before she came to her senses. But as he stood and waited, he wondered if it was too long. Had she already decided that she didn't need an old cripple like him? The thought was an arrow in his heart.

Just as he was about to step away and seek out his beautiful Belle or a bottle of strong liquor, the front castle door opened and Snow White stepped out, clad in a beautiful rose dress that seemed to float about her and holding a basket of rose petals. Prince James, the only other witness, was obviously barely able to keep his tongue in his mouth and Rumpelstiltskin smirked to hide his breath of relief. Belle hadn't abandoned him. She was still coming down the aisle. And he wasn't wrong.

As Snow White cleared the aisle, Belle stepped out of the doorway and into the sunshine. Rumpelstiltskin felt his heart stop. His Belle looked nothing short of ethereal. She wore a beautiful white dress, a sweetheart neckline embroidered with pearls and a full skirt with small ruffles and a long train. A thin veil covered her face, but her brilliant smile and watery eyes shone through. She came to a stop beside Rumpelstiltskin and he took her hand in his. They turned to the priest who nodded to them. The man had been well-paid in gold thread to keep this wedding a secret, and that amount of gold was enough to put a smile on anyone's face as he grinned benevolently at the pair.

"We are gathered here today—"

"In the sight of a goddess." Interrupted a voice. Rumpelstiltskin and Belle both turned to see their new guest. It was a woman, a strange woman with olive skin. She wore a short pale tunic, her auburn hair pulled up atop her head. A hunting dog sat at her side, though there was something majestic about its features. The woman smiled at Rumpelstiltskin and Belle,

"I am Artemis." Rumpelstiltskin paled and fell to his knees at those simple words, Belle soon kneeling beside him. Snow White, Prince James, and the priest also bowed or curtsied, though none understood the importance of this outsider. She completely ignored everyone else, crossing to Belle and Rumpelstiltskin and helping them up. She turned to Rumpelstiltskin,

"You marry today. On this day, you need not bow, for you are the richest man in the land. You marry for True Love, and I am rather delighted to say I had a hand in it." said Artemis, a sparkle of mischief glimmering from the corner of her eye. Rumpelstiltskin's brows met for a moment before his eyes widened in understanding,

"It was you. You granted our wishes." He whispered. Belle gasped beside him. She knew it to be true, and suddenly she recognized this woman from a long-buried memory.

"Mother?" she asked softly. Artemis turned to Belle,

"My daughter." She held her arms open and Belle rushed to them.

"But you were dead!" Belle said through her sobs. Artemis slowly stroked her daughter's hair,

"I had to return to Olympus and could not return to Earth again. I've had to get special permission from my father to return even for this short visit. It would have only hurt you and your papa too much to expect me back. But do not cry, Belle." She gently pulled her daughter off her and turned her to face the baffled Rumpelstiltskin, "Today you marry your True Love. True Love is a rare thing, rarer than you might think. I promise you, whatever you have endured to be here, it was worth it." Artemis backed up and sat down on the magically appearing extra chair. Belle blushed and nodded, turning back to her fiancé. The priest stuttered out,

"Goddess, would y-you like to pr-preside?" Artemis almost seemed to smirk at his intimidation,

"No, that's alright. You just keep on what you're doing." As Rumpelstiltskin watched his new mother-in-law, he couldn't repress the strong feeling that they would get on just fine. The priest nodded to Artemis. He turned to Rumpelstiltskin and Belle,

"We are gathered here today in the sight of a goddess. Do you, Rumpelstiltskin Spinnerson, swear to love Belle of Avonlea? To keep her, to hold her, to protect her? To love her as a man ought love a woman?"

"I do." Said Rumpelstiltskin, not even trying to hide the wide grin that spread across his face. Tears spilled down Belle's eyes, happy tears as she tried hard not to giggle. The priest turned to her,

"Do you, Belle of Avonlea, swear to love Rumpelstiltskin Spinnerson? To love him, to obey him, to always see good in him? Do you swear to love him as a wife loves and obeys her husband?"

"No." said Belle. There were gasps and Rumpelstiltskin hung his head. He'd known this would come. But Belle took a deep breath and continued, "I swear to love him as my equal. I promise to forgive him his faults, not be blind to them. I will not obey him as a slave obeys a master. He is my equal and I will not bow to him. But yes, I swear to love and care for him." She couldn't wipe the smile from her face and Rumpelstiltskin was happier than he'd thought he ever could be. He'd known Belle had iron in her soul. Her denial to obey only made him love her more. The priest looked between Belle and Rumpelstiltskin. Seeing neither running away in tears, he shrugged his shoulders,

"I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss-" Rumpelstiltskin swept Belle up in his arms before the priest finished his words. Snow White laughed and hugged Prince James. Artemis smiled and nodded. She herself had once experienced True Love, with Belle's father. Not Lord Maurice, but another man. Maurice had simply raised her daughter; he had not been the father. But that was another story for another time. Artemis stood and nodded in respect to the couple. She turned and walked away.

Artemis had spent a fair amount of time speaking with the Fates. She knew her daughter would enjoy a good life, a comfortable life with her husband. They would raise children together and die together as an old man and wife. Life for them would be perfect. But then again, the words of the Fates can be interpreted many ways.

**A/N: Well, there you are! This story is concluded. I hope you all enjoyed it. As a treat, I'm going to go ahead and leave a quick list of some of my favorite Rumbelle fics. I know that when I compile this, I'm going to miss a few, and for that I apologize. This probably won't even matter to most of you, but I thought you might want a list. So here it is! These are in alphabetical order.**

'**Addiction' by Sapsorrow86- This story also has two sequels, 'Withdrawal' and 'Indulgence'. Basically, Mr. Gold is his amazing Wall Street bad-ass self. Belle is possibly the last kind Starbucks employee to walk this earth. When she actually makes him want to spend extra time at Starbucks, what happens? Obviously, my own doctored summary, but that's what you get. There is some spectacular smut, which is always a plus. It's all around amazing. Sapsorrow actually has a TON of amazing stories, so you should probably read all those too. **

'**Delicate and Rare' by Bad Faery- Again, really amazing. Belle is a new actor and Mr. Gold is one of the best critics ever to grace the theater. He can't help falling for her and brings her orchids every night. Again, some bad-ass smut ensues. I know, I read far too much smut, but get over it. We read what we read. So you need to check that out too. Again, Bad Faery is an amazing author, so you need to read more of her stuff too.**

**And just apologizing now, if I ever call someone a 'her' when it's a 'him', I apologize. I just assume 90% of the people on fanfiction are female because I think most guys don't care. Feel free to contradict me via PM.**

'**Kid Whisperer' by Cu Chulainn 1945- For once, ABSOLUTELY NO SMUT! This story is just full of all the amazing little short stories of Mr. Gold dealing with kids and how incredibly cute he is with them. There is everything from tickle fights to Disney movies. Yeah, it's absolutely amazing. Lamentably, I don't believe she's published much else OUAT fiction, but one can dream.**

'**Of Stained Glass Roses and Shattered Dreams' by TardisinWonderland- A wonderful not-so-little story that I absolutely love. It's amazing, it truly is. It's…I don't really understand how to explain it, so here's what the author says, **_**"AU- Annabelle French is running away from home. However, her plans are changed when she meets a man at the train station known only by the name "Mr. Gold," who harbors a mysterious secret. What if magic were real in our world? The characters haven't *gone,* they've simply chosen to blend in as the world changed around them. Also curses."**_

**And now… two random Gemma fics. If you're hard-core Rumbelle, that's fine. Just stop reading here. For the rest of you amazing open-minded people, here you are, my two absolute favorite Gemma (Gold and Emma, for those of you who don't know that) fics!**

'**Sunshine and Rain' by Ravenclaw992- Emma gets pretty toasted one night and wakes up married to Mr. Gold. He kidnaps her for a honeymoon and things progress from there. It's really good. A little smut, nothing I'd call incredibly graphic. It's Mr. Gold and honeymoon, what did you expect?**

'**Time Around' by RhineGold- Emma ends up in fairytale land through an accident. Rumpelstiltskin takes her in and it's really good. I called the ending about three chapters in, but it's still a really good story. People need to read it.**

**And there you are! Yes, the longest author's note you've ever read, but I just wanted to suggest a few once you're through with this story (and possibly some of my other ones, if you're interested). Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this and have a wonderful day!**


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